Decision (1)
“Vergil, who is—”
Vergil frowned. Felix swallowed, then coughed, forcing his tone into something more respectful.
“Great Venerable Lord Vergil. Just who is that woman?”
At the question, the knights followed his line of sight. Vergil did as well.
Seris was a short distance away, surrounded by villagers, speaking with them easily wth a smile on her face.
‘She’s a bit more cranky in the cabin, though.’
Over the past few days, the knights had found it difficult not to notice her. Among them, a silent consensus had already been reached.
The woman who dressed like a witch was exceptionally beautiful, even by the Empire’s standards.
And for Felix, who was not just a common knight but the son of a baron, the thought came naturally.
She was more beautiful than most noble ladies he had ever laid eyes on.
“Forget it, you idiots. Your lecherous intentions are practically leaking. Keep staring like that, and she’ll slit your throats in your sleep.”
“.......”
As if on cue, Seris turned and glared daggers at them.
They quickly turned their faces away. One coughed too loudly. Another suddenly found the snow at his feet very interesting.
Felix forced out an awkward laugh.
“W-We were only curious, that’s all…”
Vergil gave him a flat look.
“Then be curious somewhere that isn’t here.”
As Felix returned his gaze, alternating between Seris and Vergil, he suddenly spoke.
“That woman… were the rumors actually not true, Lord Vergil?”
Vergil raised a fist as if he were about to strike.
“I guess you still have not been beaten enough.”
Felix frantically waved his hands.
“Eeek! N-No, wait. L-Let me explain.”
Vergil lowered his fist. Thinking about it, it would be hypocritical to say he had never had such thoughts regarding the Princess, Anneliese.
All men had impulses.
And for a woman like Anneliese, who was practically all over him, at least that’s what he had thought once, it would be a lie to say the thought had never crossed his mind more than once.
“It’s all false charges.”
But Vergil lied anyway.
It was all in the past.
And despite harboring those thoughts back then, not once had he ever taken a step forward or acted on his impulses, no matter what the rumors claimed.
Felix nodded slowly, fixing his attention on Seris.
“That makes sense. I mean, if you’ve got that woman over there, there’s no way you’d even look twice at that flat-board of a Princess.”
“Flat-board?”
“Ah—no, I mean—Princess Anneliese is… structurally efficient?”
“Say that in the capital, and they’ll hang you immediately.”
That wasn’t an exaggeration. The capital never joked about the Imperial Family. Even theater troupes refrained from discussing topics related to them, in fear of accidental defamation.
“That’s fine. A lot of the boys here agree with my sentiment. Ain’t that right, boys?”
Felix spread his hands with forced confidence, trying to drag the others into his grave with him.
“...I actually quite like the Princess’s innocence.”
Translation: he had desires to defile such innocence.
“Tch, that’s rookie taste.”
Another knight scoffed, crossing his arms.
“I prefer women who look like they’d stab me in my sleep.”
Translation: he was deeply aware of how doomed his romantic prospects were.
“You’re all missing the real appeal.”
A third knight chimed in, lowering his voice.
“Royalty isn’t just about looks. It’s the status. The idea of taboo! That you’re absolutely not supposed to touch her!”
Translation: he was a future criminal.
Felix nodded along enthusiastically.
“Exactly! It’s like staring into the sun! You know you shouldn’t, but your eyes just keep going back.”
Translation: he had never learned a single lesson in his life.
Vergil looked at them as though they were cockroaches.
“…Why am I the one in exile?”
By all rights, every single one of them should have received the death penalty already.
* * *
“Miss Seris!”
“O-Oh… hello, Mary.”
“Look! I drew Miss Seris!”
Mary thrust the piece of paper forward with both hands, practically bouncing in place.
A tall figure with a large crooked hat, a lopsided smile, and far too many snowmen drawn around her.
Seris froze for a moment, staring at the drawing.
“…Is that me?”
“Yes! That’s your magic hat. And these are the snowmen you made for us!”
Seris lowered herself to a crouch and took the paper carefully.
“It’s… very good.”
“Hehe~”
Mary smiled warmly as if she had just been knighted.
Seris gently patted Mary’s head.
“Did you draw this all by yourself?”
“Mhm! I wanted to give it to Miss Seris so you won’t forget me when you leave for adventures.”
“Did you draw this all by yourself?”
“Mhm! I wanted to give it to Miss Seris so you won’t forget me when you leave for adventures.”
“…Forget you?”
Mary nodded earnestly.
“Miss Seris is a witch, right? Witches go on journeys! Papa said so.”
“I’m… not going anywhere anytime soon.”
“Really? Then will you draw with me later?”
Seris glanced sideways as if asking Vergil for help. He only raised a brow.
“...I can’t draw.”
“That’s not what I’m asking you, though?”
“......”
“Never mind. You’re of no help at all, Vergil.”
Seris turned to Mary.
“Come on, Mary. Let’s go before Vergil infects you with his terminal gloom.”
Mary laughed and took her hand eagerly.
Vergil watched them leave and let out a sigh. Then he turned back toward the knights.
“What are you bastards staring at?”
The knights flinched as if they had been snapped out of a trance. Several of them looked away at once.
“N-No reason, Lord Vergil…!”
“If you have time to gawk, you have time to freeze. Move.”
The knights scrambled at once, scattering back to their posts.
* * *
Days passed, and the knights settled into their makeshift encampments.
It was far from what they had expected.
Every attempt to exploit the villagers was met with Vergil’s constant threats, and because of that, a strange coexistence formed between the knights and the village.
But something was wrong.
“……”
Not a single one of them was patrolling.
There were no attempts to search for signs of the Ice Dragon. Instead, they were mingling with the villagers as if they had forgotten their original purpose entirely.
Because of that, Vergil went straight to the village chief.
“What have they been asking around for?”
“They’ve been asking us to gather every blond child in the village. And they told us not to let it reach your ears, Sir Vergil.”
Vergil’s expression darkened.
“…What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
The chief lowered his gaze.
“Well… no one’s taking them seriously, to be honest. They tried to threaten one of the parents, but Miss Seris was nearby. After that, they didn’t dare go any further.”
“Blond children…”
It was no wonder they had been loitering around the only blond child in the village, Mary, the little girl who always stayed close to Seris.
Vergil’s fist clenched as he strode straight toward the knights’ camp. In an instant, he drove his boot into Felix’s side.
“Ack…!”
Felix rolled across the snow and crashed into a barrel.
“You’ve grown bold. Asking around about children now.”
The surrounding knights froze. Felix coughed.
“W-What are you talking about?”
“Blond children. You thought I wouldn’t hear about it?”
“T-That’s not what it sounds like—”
Vergil grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up with one hand.
“You threaten a single parent again, and I’ll break more than your arm this time.”
Felix trembled.
“I-It was an order from above! We were told to identify possible targets. That’s all!”
“I knew it was suspicious incompetent fools like you would be sent here to establish a settlement when none of you are even capable of doing that properly. You aren’t here for an Ice Dragon at all, are you?”
Felix glanced around, then let out a sigh.
“Half-and-half.”
“Speak.”
“While it is true the Dragons granted humans the authority to search the area, the First Prince saw it as an opportunity. With the human race maintaining friendly ties with every nation, we can move freely without drawing suspicion.”
“Opportunity for what?”
“To locate any potential bastard children of the Emperor.”
“.......”
Vergil’s brows rose at once.
Naturally, this truth would be kept hidden.
The incoming reinforcements were likely the real force assigned to hunt the Ice Dragon, while Felix’s arrival here served as nothing more than a pretense.
Given his noble standing, the First Prince would have covertly entrusted this role to him.
Vergil placed a hand on his hilt and narrowed his eyes.
“And… did you find the child?”
If they had, the outcome was already obvious.
The entire village would be slaughtered, including the child.
The First Prince had been known for his brutality in the novel.
It would not be an exaggeration to say he would erase a child’s life without remorse just to eliminate any potential rival to the throne.
“Of course not. How could we, when Sir Vergil stops our attempts each time?”
“There’s only one blond child in the village.”
“Then I take it you know what to do, Vergil.”
“...Why tell me?”
“Come on now. You said those were false charges, didn’t you? Surely you’re not this slow in the head, Vergil.”
In other words, Felix was giving him a chance.
Hand over the bastard child to the First Prince, and he might earn the Prince’s favor.
He might even gain leverage against his charges.
It was then.
———!
From the distance came the sound of hooves, followed by the cries of horses.
Torches contrasted against the darkness as a procession of lights approached.
A smirk crept onto Felix’s face.
“Oh. Did I forget to mention who’s leading the reinforcements?”
“…The First Prince.”
Felix’s grin widened.
“Glad you caught on quickly, Vergil.”
“Tsk.”
Vergil clicked his tongue and unsheathed his blade.
